A Thousand Miles From Home
by Tohru Akagi
Summary: A series of short stories that are tied together with truth, pain and realisation.
1. A Thousand Miles From Home

Even if she pushed her away, he would still come back.

Even if she wrapped his fingers around his neck, he would stand there, letting her.

Even if she said she hated him, he would always reply back softly, "I love you."

Even…

Even…

**A thousand miles from home**

The world feared Akito – not just because of her temper, but because they knew the way her mind worked. How could a young mind such as her become so twisted; so filled with malice and selfishness, the others did not know. But the knew enough to fear and respect her, causing the girl to be isolated from the entire world around her. Even when she was able to go out, the scenery seemed bleak. Empty. Cold.

So very much like her.

Whenever she saw him, she could fill the bile rising up her throat and threatening to spill out from her mouth. She hated him – hated him so much. The way he looked at her made her skin crawl. Whenever he talked, she wanted to scream to drown his voice into nothingness. Whenever he touched her, it was as if she had been licked by a flame of fire.

He was her nightmare.

She was his dream.

Shigure yearned to see her – his desire for her so obsessive that he felt the need to be embraced be Akito's same blood – the body of her mother. It was not the same. Ren did not hold the same warmth. Her words meant nothing to Shigure, and even when Ren screamed throughout their nights of ecstasy, he could only see Akito's face. Feel Akito's flesh. Whisper Akito's name.

The looks he gave her were always filled with such longing it made Kyo's heart ache when he saw them; it reminded him too much of his yearning for Tohru's acceptance…and her love. Unlike Tohru, Akito never gave a second glance. She would walk past purposefully, her shoulders pulled back to make them seem frightfully broad, her chest bound so tight that it would constrict her breathing; her eyes cold and hard, daring anyone to cross her.

"Akito," Shigure would call, his voice no louder than a whisper.

For him, it was a victory even if Akito's step faltered at his voice, or if she hesitated when doing something. Large eyes of innocence would flash at him, before returning to their flat, uncaring stare.

"What is it, dog?" she would snarl, angry thoughts running through her head like a river streaming down a mountain side.

"Akito," Shigure would try again, a hand reaching out to the God of the zodiac animals.

And she would flinch, causing the crack in Shigure's heart to deepen.

"Kureno!" she would shriek snidely, her eyes never leaving his face as the name left her lips. The crevasse in Shigure's heart widened as the bird of the zodiac walked in, his face impassive.

"Kureno," Akito would purr, draping an arm around Kureno's neck with casual grace. "I'm tired. Take me to my room."

"I have something for you!" Shigure would announce weakly, but Akito's back would have already turned, deeming the novelist unimportant.

"Hurry," Akito would snap. "The things surrounding me make me want to retch."

Shigure wanted nothing more than to cry as the words left the girl's mouth. He felt it. He felt a thousand miles from home.


	2. Wings

Let these biding chains fall and rust.

Let this bleeding heart die and just,

Put thy arms around me and let yourself cry,

Let thy take my broken wings and let me fly…

**Wings**

"Hurry," Akito would snap, "The surrounding things makes me want to retch."

And as the twisted girl lead Kureno to their room, he would feel the pain and sadness Shigure held in his heart; the same pain and sadness he held in his for the other girl – Arisa Uotani.

"Kureno," Akito would call. "I want that girl… that wretched woman gone, here me? Make her disappear. Make her realise that she is not one of us, and make her gone. Go."

The wind was cold as Kureno stepped out from the Main House. How he yearned for company, yet he knew that the others would give him none. How he yearned for acceptance, yet he knew that the others would give him none. How he yearned…

"Kureno – san?" a young voice inquired.

Kureno stopped, eyes adjusting to the light of the setting sun.

"Honda – san," he replied, giving her a forced smile.

Tohru smiled back, her aura of peace and tranquillity forming a protective shell against Akito's spite that was imbedded in Kureno's heart.

"How are you, Kureno – san?" she asked, her hands full with shopping bags.

"I…"

He had no idea how to answer. The words 'good', 'fine', 'well', did not apply to him. What he wanted was for someone else to answer for him. Someone to comfort him and tell him that everything would be alright.

"Oh! Uo – chan was playing the Prince in our play. Did you see it?" Tohru pressed, desperate to hear some sort of life in Kureno's voice.

"… I'm sorry, Honda – san. I've been extremely rude. Let me answer your first question," Kureno said in a low voice.

"Ok. Take your time," Tohru beamed.

"I'm… I've been through worse…" Kureno began, his hands shaking. "There's a pain in my heart that I can't ignore, but I can't erase either. I want to see her, but I can't. It's not like anyone can stop me, but this guilt… this pain that I cannot ignore…"

Tohru leaned over to place a small hand over one of Kureno's.

"It's alright. I know you care about her, and that is what really matters, isn't it?" Tohru said.

Kureno felt like curling up and crying.

"I want to see her," he broke out in a ragged whisper. "I want to see her…"

Tohru let her shopping bags fall and wrapped her arms around the frail man.

"You will," she replied, tears streaming down her face. "I promise you, you will."


End file.
